Eileen

McGinn

Eileen Christensen McGinn, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister passed away peacefully on November 7, 2026 just 23 days short of her 91st birthday. Born on November 30th, 1935 in Virginia, Idaho, Eileen was the eighth of thirteen children born to Edsel and Edith Christensen. Of her twelve siblings she is survived by three: Delbert, Patricia, and Doyle.

Eileen was raised on a small family farm in Virginia and attended school in Downey, Idaho. She learned early how to work hard and get the job done working alongside her brothers, harvesting sugar beets. She was strong and athletic and more than pulled her weight. When she was old enough to get a paid job she went to work and supported herself and helped supply clothes and other necessities for her younger siblings whom she always watched out for. She believed in the virtue of hard work and that a job worth doing was worth doing right the first time.

She also found time to have fun. In high school she ran track, excelling at the hurdles, and played baseball. She played the drums in the high school band and carried the Bass drum in the marching band. For the rest of her life she would entertain her family by drumming out a rhythm on the kitchen table with spoons, knives, or whatever was handy. She also played the harmonica and would play songs for her grandchildren and great grandchildren to dance and sing along to. She had a beautiful Alto voice and sang with the Chauntenettes a local vocal group for several years.

Eileen had a quick wit and sense of humor. She would play pranks and liked to pop her head around corners and "shoot" you with her finger gun along with the accompanied "phew, phew" sound. She was a bit of a tease, a trait she has passed on to many of her family members. She always had gum in her purse and a toothpick in her mouth. She made her home a welcoming place for her children's friends to be. She LOVED sports, going to all her children's games even after they became adults. She would always bring her scorebook and keep running stats for the teams. If you wanted to call and have a conversation with her you better do it at half time or after the game. No matter the season, there was a sport she was following.

Eileen was a devoted wife who shared 39 years with the love of her life, John Peter McGinn, Jr. until he passed in 1997. They met at a dance in Pocatello, Idaho where John was attending Nuclear Submarine school and Eileen worked as a telephone operator for Bell. He saw Eileen across the dance floor, turned to his buddy and said "I'm going to marry that girl" and after a short courtship, they did just that marrying in 1958. Eileen found herself the mom of an instant family with four children: Linda, Michael, John, and Jim from John's first marriage. They had four more children: Brian, David, Gary, and Michelle. In 1966 Eileen and John were sealed for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls, Idaho Temple.

Eileen was a Navy wife and stay home mother for many years. She loved being a military wife. She was very independent and capable of handling the home front while John would be gone 3 to 9 months at a time serving on submarines. In 1970 when John retired from the Navy the family moved to Utah where Eileen began her very successful career in medical billing working first for Utah Valley Hospital as the billing office manager and then again at Charter Canyon Hospital. She also traveled across the country and taught medical billing seminars to others in the field. When she retired from the medical field she continued to do the billing for several doctor offices as well as work part time selling dresses at JCPENNEY and teaching flower arranging classes at UVU.

A life long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she willingly gave of her time and talents teaching relief society, serving in multiple positions in primary presidencies and as the primary chorister. She made flower arrangements for the relief society to use and was the sacrament meeting chorister for many years. She was also grandma to the children in her neighborhood and hosted an annual Christmas cookie decorating party with them for many years.

Eileen was a talented crocheter and made blankets for her grandchildren. She could quilt, knit, cross stitch, needle point, tole paint and arrange flowers. She had a green thumb and grew flowers and vegetables that she preserved.

Eileen is survived by five sons and one daughter: Michael Patrick (Judy) McGinn, of Bedford, Texas; James Henry (Paul) McGinn, of Long Beach, California; Brian Wayne (Stefanie) McGinn, of Gilbert, Arizona; David Bruce (Lori) McGinn, of Orem, Utah; Gary Allen (Dannielle) McGinn, of Provo, Utah; Michelle Eileen (Wayne) Reading, of Jacksonville, Florida. Eileen is also survived by 23 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren with one on the way. Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, nine siblings, one daughter and one son, Linda Kay McGinn and John Peter McGinn III

Eileen’s life was an example of faith, hard work, generosity of spirit, and love of family. She will be truly missed but her legacy lives on in the lives and hearts of her family.

The family would like to thank her many friends and the staff of the Courtyard at Jamestown Assisted Living Center whom she loved and where she spent the last four years of her life.

Funeral services will be held Friday, November 13th at 1:00 p.m. at the Walker Sanderson Funeral Home in Orem, Utah. Friends may call Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Walker Sanderson Funeral Home, 646 East 800 North, Orem, prior to the services. Burial will be in the Orem City Cemetery.